Problem Solving With Partnerships

NACCTEP Annual ConferenceFebruary 26, 2011

11AM-Noon, Room Aqua 305Dr. Susan Butler

Gulf Coast State College

Problem-Based Learning

• Any learning that occurs while grappling with a problem

• Problems are usually ill-structured in nature (no known solution path)

• Best problems for teaching are ones relevant to students and of high impact (impact 50+ people)

• Requires team work

QUESTION

• Choose the “best” PBL problem:

A)Find the square footage of this room.

B)Should Pres. Obama expand oil-drilling in the Gulf of Mexico?

C)What should ABC College choose as a Quality Enhancement Project?

Process of Problem-Based Learning

4

QUESTION

True or False?PBL is a linear process.

Our Problem

How can we, as the local post-secondary institutions (USA University and America Community College) aid K-12 education by increasing the number of highly qualified teachers in core content areas in such a way that we…. (see next slide)

White = Statement of ProblemYellow = Our Roles in the ProblemPink = Conditions Governing the Problem

Conditions• Utilize existing post-secondary and K-

12 personnel (no new hires)• Decrease the number of out-of-field

teachers• Provide accessible, high quality content

that prepares participants for success on subject area teacher certification exams

• Address pedagogy unique to the subjects

• Utilize outside funding of $770,000 to develop the project

• Complete the project in one calendar year

Process of Problem-Based Learning

8

QUESTION

What do we “know?”

A)The number of out-of-field teachers

B)The subject area(-s) with the most out-of-field teachers

C)The budget for the project

D)The content delivery format

Process of Problem-Based Learning

10

Group WorkIn your groups of 4 (or less), list your knowns and

unknowns. Speculate on what research might uncover concerning your unknowns.

10 Minute Task: a) Generate a potential solution. b) Choose a spokesperson c) Prepare to give a 1 minute presentation of your solution.

Rating SolutionsAs you listen to each group’s presentation,

rate each presentation using a scale from 1-5 where:

1 is lowest score

5 is highest score

You will be asked to voice your score at the end of each presentation.

Note: You may NOT vote on your own group’s presentation.

Debriefing

List examples from the solution presentations that you feel are the best methods to use in solving this problem.

Write these in your “notes” section.

Share aloud.

QUESTIONAs you listen to the actual solution devised by

Gulf Coast State College and Florida State University-Panama City:

a)Make a check mark in the tally column of the Debriefing Session Notes handout if you hear this example mentioned in the GCSC/FSU-PC actual solution

b)At the end of the actual solution, count the total number of tally marks.

c)Record this number.

One Team’s Solution:Gulf Coast State College and Florida State

University-Panama City

• GCSC professors-content experts

• University professors-pedagogy experts

• Created 8-week, facilitated online classes

• Subject areas: Physics, Chemistry, Math 6-12, Math 5-9, English 6-12, Social Studies 6-12, Middle Grades Integrated

• Participants assigned an online mentor (K-12 veteran teacher in subject area)

One Team’s Solution:Gulf Coast State College and Florida State

University-Panama City• Embedded “Classroom Applications” into

each content course• Each course had a pre-test and an end-of-

course test• Piloted 5 of the courses with 71

participants• Pilot participants had to construct lesson

plan using course concepts and be observed teaching this plan

QUESTION

Tally Marks

A = None

B = 1-3

C = 4-6

D = more than 6

How do you think we did?

Results• 5 of 7 courses were completed (not

Physics or Chemistry) in time to pilot

• All pilot participants showed positive gains on pre/post test comparisons

• Pilot participants scored higher than the state average on certification exams

• Number of out-of-field teachers reduced (% varied by subject area)

Challenges

• Time

• Too complex to manage efficiently (course facilitation, lesson plan creation, observations, online mentors)

• Personnel capacity

• How to disseminate state-wide

• Attrition of pilot participants

Second Year Changes• GCSC professors-still content experts• K-12 veteran teachers were pedagogy

experts and course facilitators• Online mentors discontinued• Physics and Chemistry courses

finished• State standards embedded explicitly in

all courses and included in Classroom Applications

Second Year Changes• Courses opened to 400 participants

statewide

• 10 Principals volunteered to train as observers

• Registration process changed; some knowledge of subject area required to register

Lessons Learned

Why our partnership worked:• Each institution had its own budget• Responsibilities of each institution were

clearly articulated and agreed upon• Weekly partnership meetings were held

where problems could be immediately addressed

• Leadership of both institutions were supportive of project

QUESTION

This presentation made me more interested in using problem-based learning methods.

True?

False?

QUESTION

This presentation made it more likely that I would participate in a cross-institutional partnership.

True?

False?